How to Analyse Absence Data for Better Workforce Decisions

Absenteeism affects productivity, morale, and costs. According to CIPD, UK employees took an average of 7.8 sick days in 2023 - the highest figure in over a decade. For a business with 1,500 employees, that’s more than 11,000 lost workdays. Beyond the operational impact, absence patterns often point to deeper issues such as stress, burnout, or disengagement. 

Retention is also affected. People Magazine (CIPD) report that 23% of employees say unsocial hours are the main reason they leave their jobs, highlighting how absence patterns can signal deeper workforce issues. 

Analysing these patterns helps businesses identify root causes, support wellbeing initiatives, and plan ahead to avoid costly staffing gaps. HR platforms report last month’s absence, forecast trends which can help you anticipate seasonal spikes or spot emerging risks. This predictive approach turns absence data into a planning tool rather than a compliance exercise. 

To get a complete picture, track more than sickness. Include holiday and planned leave, plus other types such as parental or compassionate leave. Break sickness absence into short-term and long-term cases so you can target interventions effectively. Holiday data is essential for resource planning and avoiding bottlenecks, while monitoring additional leave types gives insight into broader workforce trends. 

Why does this matter? Because absence isn’t isolated - it interacts with workload, wellbeing, and retention. If you only track sickness, you miss the bigger picture. Holiday requests will tend to peak in July and August, creating potential resource gaps if not managed effectively. 

When absence analysis is done well, it changes the game. It helps HR move from firefighting to planning, uncovering wellbeing risks early, avoiding compliance issues, and preparing for seasonal peaks. This isn’t just an admin task; it’s a key part of workforce strategy. As Zoe Wilson, Director of ReThink HR says Episode 5: Strategic Workforce Management of our Do the Best Work of Your Life series:

"Workforce management is about having the right people, at the right time, in the right place. You need to know their skills, their availability, keep them engaged, and make sure they’re ready to work." 

Flexibility plays a big role too. 60.3% of employees say they can’t change shifts when needed, which can lead to stress and unplanned absences. Coordinating leave can be tricky, especially in larger organisations, which is why integrated systems help.  

Holiday reporting  

Holiday allowance calculations are a helpful way of comparing how much annual leave your staff have used up with how much they have remaining. This is an especially important report to pull if you are worried about employees carrying an excessive amount of leave into the following year, and need to discuss these concerns with staff.  

Sickness absence statistical report  

Ensure you report on the cost and frequency of sickness absence across your organisation. Absence histograms are a useful way of showing how long staff are off for when sick, so you can measure how disruptive short-term absence is to your organisation. You might also use this report to support a proposed strategy for reducing sickness absence, such as introducing the flu jab to suppress sickness outbreaks in the winter months.  

Monthly bar charts  

Draw on historic data to see the distribution of leave taken by month. This allows you to identify trends and plan ahead for staff shortfalls. To avoid absence clashes, you may need to encourage staff to book holiday evenly throughout the year. This chart provides a starting point for opening up this discussion with line managers.  

Summary pie charts  

Use pie charts to show how leave taken for sickness compares to that taken for holiday. Drill down further by examining more categories like ‘working from home’ or ‘miscellaneous’ leave. Analyse trends across your organisation or by department. Visualise the leave taken by your staff into different categories. 

Start with structured absence reports that include key details: employee information, duration and reason for absence, and cost impact. Using a sickness absence report template ensures consistency and makes it easier to compare trends over time. 

Reporting alone isn’t enough as the real value comes from interpretation. Visual dashboards can highlight hotspots by department or location, helping you focus wellbeing initiatives where they’re needed most. Monthly bar charts can reveal seasonal trends in holiday bookings, while pie charts give a quick comparison between sickness and holiday leave. These visuals make it easier to share findings with managers and boards. 

Benchmarking against industry standards adds valuable context. Comparing your absence data with CIPD benchmarks shows whether your absence rates are above or below average and helps set realistic targets. Predictive analytics takes this further, moving from “what happened” to “what’s likely to happen next”. 

Once you’ve identified trends through absence data analysis, you can take steps to reduce absenteeism and improve wellbeing. Common strategies include introducing mental health and stress support programmes, offering flexible working arrangements, and running flu jab campaigns during winter to reduce seasonal sickness. 

The key is targeting interventions where absence rates are highest to ensure resources are used effectively. For example, if short-term sickness spikes in Q4, consider stress audits and flexible working pilots. If holiday clustering appears in summer, stagger leave approvals to protect service levels. 

Accurate absence data analysis is essential for strategic workforce planning. Reviewing your current processes and investing in tools that make reporting easier can transform how you manage absence. By combining reliable sickness absence data with predictive insights, businesses can reduce absenteeism, improve productivity, and create a healthier workplace culture. 

If you’re looking to improve absence management, start by reviewing your data and exploring tools that can help you plan ahead. The right solution can make reporting effortless and give you the insights you need to act quickly. 

Discover how Access Absence Management software can help you reduce absenteeism and boost productivity.